Mahabubabad: Satyavathi Rathod tears into Eatala Rajender

Mahabubabad: Former Minister Eatala Rajender got stuck in self-defence rather than what he terms it as 'self-respect', Tribal Welfare Minister Satyavathi Rathod said, referring to the former's resignation from the TRS party membership. Speaking to media persons here on Friday, she stated that Eatala, who was mired in irregularities, was trying to protect himself by joining the BJP.

"It's absurd that Eatala chose to embrace the BJP, which merged seven mandals of erstwhile Khammam district with Andhra Pradesh. Eatala has no moral right to criticise Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, who put Telangana on the development path," Rathod said. It's difficult to understand why Eatala sailed with the party even though he was ill-treated for the last five years. He could have left the party then and there, she said.

She also objected to Eatala's criticism that the CM reacted to a common man's complaint that exposed his (Eatala) land grabbing. KCR said in the past that people are his high command, she recalled. "A leader should work for the people instead of snatching the lands of distressed sections," she said, referring to the assigned lands acquired by Eatala.

Defending joining of MLAs of other parties in the TRS, Rathod said that it was realignment of political forces for the betterment of Telangana. TRS remembered people, who fought for separate Telangana and gave them plum posts, she added.

In another development, the Minister consoled the family members of Modu Usha, who was molested and murdered recently, at Thanda Dharmaram under Maripeda mandal. She said that the Usha's family would get a compensation of Rs 1 lakh from the government. She gave Rs 10,000 to the family members from her own purse.